danb35

Quote: Kwixdraw I got insurance via the EAA program and it ended up being placed through Falcon.

[hit by the forum bug, double post]

I've not tried to weld it up, but some judicious use of a file will give a sharper corner, which will give the result you're looking for.

What happened to the CHT when you went to 11 gph? Did you try going a little leaner instead (say, 8.5 gph)?

Quote: jordann Now I am curious if full flap takeoffs in the long body are legal or prohibited?

Quote: allsmiles Yes it did Byron. The consensus from everyone I've spoken with is to allow the engine to cool down at 1000 RPM for about 5 min prior to shut down. There are good reasons for this recommendation.

In-flight mag check is the first thing I'd look at, GAMI spread is the second. For the in-flight mag check, in cruise flight, run the engine as lean as it will run smoothly, and then run it first on one mag, then the other, for about 30 sec. each. You should see EGTs rise consistently across all cylinders. For the GAMI spread, at 65% power or less, lean the engine until the last cylinder to peak is at least 20 degrees F lean of peak EGT, and ideally 50 degrees. Note the fuel flow at which each cylinder peaks. Plugged injector is a likely culprit; induction air leak somewhat less so. How were you running the engine when you got these temp readings? MP/RPM/fuel flow/altitude?

Quote: allsmiles did they allow proper time for cool down before shut down.

Quote: FBCK I have one of these 16 as well and would be interested if we had some software to use with it, I understand the connector is behind the unit, though I have never seen it .

I conservatively plan for 9 gph as a block value. Since I mostly cruise at 9-10k lately, I find I burn a bit less than this on average, but it's an easy number to work with.

It turns out that there is an Apple-approved serial cable for the iPhone/iPad: http://www.get-console.com/shop/en/cables/10-cisco-console-companion-cable-for-iphone-ipad-and-ipod-touch-rj45.html. It needs another adapter to connect to DB9s, and it's $60, which strikes me as ridiculous. However, that should make it entirely possible for someone who knew how to code for iOS, and how to get the app approved by Apple in the App store, to write an iOS app to do this. That someone isn't me, at least not right now. OTOH, the i* would have vastly more resources to work with (CPU speed, RAM, etc) than the Teensy I'm using. You'd have to come up with a way to get the file off the device, but that's been done before.

...or set up text message notifications on fltplan.com, which requires no app at all. I understand flightaware has a similar function, but I haven't used that. There's really no reason any more to be surprised with your initial clearance. OTOH, re-routes are another issue.

I like that idea (and presumably if it could be done on the iPad, it could also be done on an iPhone). I'm not sure, though, about the hardware side of it. I'm not aware of any Apple-approved RS-232 interfaces for the iPad/iPhone, which would be a problem. I've put up some information about what I'm working on right now here: http://www.interociter-enterprises.com/Interociter_Enterprises/Downloader.html. It's ugly now, no doubt, but I expect it can come together into something a little nicer by the time it's done.

Congratulations! It's got some tough stuff on there, but definitely do-able. Now get out there and get that rating!

As I understand it, the JPI also uses a serial interface to download, so the hardware I'm looking at should do the job for them as well. However, not having a JPI, I don't know how the comms work or what the data stream looks like, so it'd be tricky for me to code for it. JPI does seem to have a larger market share, though...

Apparently no interest. Interesting. I hadn't expected that the crowds would be beating down the doors for something like this, but I had expected a little bit of interest. Ah well--I'll still update as it progresses.

You shouldn't even need to have the iPad plugged into your computer, if you have the WiFi sync feature enabled. I mainly use GoodReader for my PDF and other documents, but it's a handy feature to have in ForeFlight too. I still use the paper checklist, and another sheet of scratch paper to jot down clearances, frequencies, AWOS, etc. (my finger is too fat for the Foreflight scratchpad), but that's about the only paper I use in the cockpit.

There's no need to rent a tank, you can buy it outright instead. More expensive up front, of course, but the only recurring charges are when you actually get it filled (or swap it for a full one).

Just wondering if anybody else here would have any interest in a project I've been working on... Shortly after I bought '48Q, I installed an EI UBG-16 engine monitor. It isn't the modern high-speed, full-color, primary-replacement type that's gotten popular in the last few years, but it's a perfectly-capable engine monitor with data logging. The only issue is with actually downloading the data--you need to take your computer (running Windows), with a serial cable (or USB-serial adapter), out to the plane and use EI's special software to do the download. A bit of a hassle, and doubly so if you use a Mac or other non-Windows computer. EI has a solution to this: a battery/download box they call the MUX-8A-EXT, which allows you to remove their data logger from your plane and bring it to your computer, rather than the other way round, and costs $100. Didn't sound to me like it would save much in the hassle factor. I figured it shouldn't be too hard to put together a small, stand-alone device to download the data to an SD card, which could then be read in any computer anywhere. After asking EI for some information, and hearing their response of "I don't think what you're trying to do will be possible", I was rather more determined to make it work. So, I've been tinkering away on an Arduino-based microcontroller, and think I have the bulk of the code done (though no doubt there will be some tweaking needed). For the moment, everything's on a prototyping breadboard, but if I have PCBs made I expect it should fit inside an Altoids tin. The code I'm working on now is to download the stored data from the monitor. However, the device would also be able to record data in real time (at a ~5 sec interval, rather than the 1-6 minute interval normally used by the MUX-8A) with some changes to the code. I expect the total parts bill to run around $60. I'm not at all planning on building and selling these, but I'm intending to document the project, open-source the code, and provide a bill of materials. If I go ahead with PCBs, I'll probably end up with 20 of them, so I'd have a few of them available for a nominal cost. Thoughts?

Quote: allsmiles This is excellent advice Byron is giving you gmcd. Expecially Mike Busch's Savvy webinars: "Leaning basics", "Engine Monitors" and "The EGT Myth". There is a wealth of knowledge there. You will learn theory and lots of practical advice. Also, you probably should consider the proper equipment for your airplane (an engine monitor and ff) to do this safely. Otherwise you are in the dark as to what your engine is doing making it that much more difficult.

Without fuel flow instrumentation, it will be impossible to determine your GAMI spread, which is just a shorthand term for the fuel flow spread between your richest and leanest cylinders. Without multi-cylinder CHT instrumentation, it's impossible to know if you're running too hot. Both are highly recommended for operating an engine at all, whether LOP or not. Fuel flow instrumentation isn't too expensive--last time I looked at the EI FP-5L (which is what I have in '48Q, and it works very well), it was around $400. JPI's FS-450 is comparable in price. I'd expect there are some pretty good deals going right now with OSH and all. Installation will add to the cost, of course, but it shouldn't be excessive.

In-flight mag check is best done LOP. Run on one mag, EGTs should all rise (roughly) evenly. Back to both, they drop. Other mag, they should again rise evenly. RPM shouldn't vary much at all (after all, you have a constant speed prop). Mike Busch recommends running on each mag for at least 30 sec. for best results.

Short version (do a web search for a lot more information): Climb to a high enough altitude that you're not making more than 65% power--8000 MSL should do Set WOT, 2500 RPM (or whatever you normally cruise at) Pull the mixture back to ~10 gph--this will be ROP, but not by a whole lot, which will make the rest of the test go more quickly. Let your EGTs stabilize before proceeding Slowly lean until every cylinder is LOP by at least 20 degrees, but 50 would be better Note the fuel flow at which each cylinder peaks The difference in fuel flow between the first and last cylinders to peak is your "GAMI spread" It's OK if the engine runs rough during the test--as long as it's not shaking the fillings out of your teeth, you won't hurt anything. If you have data logging on your engine monitor, you can skip the part about writing down the fuel flow and instead download the data to look at it yourself, or upload it to savvyanalysis.com (which seems like a pretty slick service), which will automatically figure it out for you. A GAMI spread less than .5 GPH is good. More than 1 GPH isn't so good. You might need GAMIjectors to run smoothly, but that's unusual for the IO-360s we run. If you aren't running smoothly LOP, check for induction leaks or ignition problems (an in-flight mag check is a good way for the latter).

Sounds like it'd be worth it for you to buy a large O2 tank or two and a transfill rig. If you're flying high regularly, I expect they'd pay for themselves quickly.

Mazerbase, what you've been told about the fine for using the wrong type of O2 is also incorrect. There's no regulatory requirement that a private operator use aviator's (as opposed to medical or welding) O2, and no fine for doing otherwise.